A Year of Asian Cookbooks

Things we hate about cookbooks include everything from missing recipes and no recipe list to cookbooks that have obviously not been well researched or, at worst, haven’t had their recipes tested. We love cookbooks. As much as it’s convenient to pull up a recipe on an...

This crab omelette recipe makes for a great weekend eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from an early morning shop at the fish markets, armed with fresh crab. It’s decadent, a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish. Crab Omelette Recipe —...

Amok trei or fish amok is a steamed fish curry with a mousse-like texture. Travellers to Cambodia are told the must-try specialty when visiting the Kingdom is fish amok. But how do you know that what you’re eating is an authentic rendition of this national dish? And does it...

What’s the first thing you should buy when you want to seriously cook Asian food. Not a wok, not a cleaver. It’s a rice cooker. Why? I know how to steam rice on a stovetop just fine. But it doesn’t go right every time. When...

The first time I sampled Butaniku no kakuni at a little Japanese izakaya joint, I called the waitress over and said “One more portion, please!” and I have to admit I’ve been a little obsessed with this Japanese dish — and the regional variations across Asia...

This piquant ajat dtaeng gwa Thai cucumber relish recipe is the perfect accompaniment to that geng gari gai aromatic chicken curry recipe from Thailand that I shared with you last year. The first time I sampled the Southern Thailand dish geng gari gai or aromatic chicken curry, it was a...

The delicious, rich Cambodian dip called prahok ktis is served with fresh crispy vegetables and makes a great introduction to the use of the Cambodian fermented fish called prahok and the curry paste called kroeung in authentic Khmer cuisine. An Authentic Khmer Prahok Ktis Recipe...

The Cambodian curry paste called kroeung is an irreplaceable ingredient in Khmer cooking and yellow kroeung is the most versatile of the curry pastes, used in many classic Cambodian dishes, especially soups and dips. Khmer yellow kroeung paste is the basis for many classic Khmer and Cambodian...

Alongside the Cambodian curry paste called kroeung, prahok is the most distinctive ingredient in Khmer cooking. This grey, visually unappealing fermented fish ‘paste’ is used by every Khmer cook to add depth of flavour to just about every dish in their repertoire. Most visitors to Cambodia...

The Cambodian Saraman Curry or Cari Saramann is the richest of the Cambodian curries and the most complex. A cousin of the Thai Massaman curry and Beef Rendang of Malaysia, its time-consuming nature makes it a special occasion dish for Cambodians, particularly in the Cham...

Kroeung, the Cambodian curry paste, along with prahok (fermented fish paste), is one of the distinctive signature ingredients in the Khmer kitchen. Flavouring everything from soups to stir-fries, its characteristics are a source of immense pride for a good Cambodian cook. The Cambodian Curry Paste...

An authentic beef Massaman curry is my favourite kind of Thai curry so there was no doubt I’d get around to making it sooner or later as part of our Year of Asian Cookbooks project. It’s the earthiness of Southern Thailand’s Massaman curry that makes...

About Grantourismo

Globetrotting professional travel writing and photography team Lara Dunston and Terence Carter see their life as one big grand tour of the globe. They're going slow, local and experiential; they’ve travelling slowly and sustainably, living like locals, and doing and learning things. Lara and Terence are on a quest to explore more authentic and enriching ways to travel and make travel more meaningful and memorable. Read more about Lara Dunston and Terence Carter.